WOOD has won a contract from Norwegian oil giant Equinor to work on a landmark project that will involve adapting North Sea production platforms to run on wind power.
The contract win comes as oil and gas firms aim to reduce the emissions they produce as they look to reinforce claims they can be part of the solution to the climate change challenge.
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Aberdeen-based Wood said it would be supporting Equinor on a flagship project for the North Sea’s energy transition journey.
The engineering giant has been engaged to modify two platforms in Norwegian waters so that they can be connected to the Hywind floating wind park.
It said the Snorre A and Gullfaks A facilities would be the first oil and gas platforms to be powered by a floating offshore wind farm.
The move to wind power is expected to help reduce carbon emissions by more than 200,000 tonnes per year.
Wood sees potential for similar projects in the UK North Sea.
The progress of the Norwegian scheme will be studied closely in the UK oil and gas industry.
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A report published this month highlighted the potential for firms in the North Sea to play a key role in the development of lower carbon energy sources and technologies that would reduce or help absorb carbon emissions.
The report by industry body Oil & Gas UK and accountancy giant PwC found the North Sea could provide an example of how firms could help tackle climate change that might be followed in other regions.
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The value of the contract Wood won from Equinor was not disclosed but is thought to be in the tens of millions of dollars.
Wood said it was committed to applying experience gained from decades of working in the North Sea to reduce the carbon intensity of offshore operations by modifying infrastructure. It has worked on fixed and floating wind energy facilities.
Equinor has been generating power from Hywind since 2017.
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